Back in my youth, it was pretty exciting when Leadbetter’s started selling motorcycles. A bunch of us were friends with Bob, so we hung out at the shop…
Talk
Transformations
I am OK... except for the fact that this “Stay at Home” thing is wearing me down to a frazzle... and the decisions I make to deal with the Gaping Alone make me wonder.
Yesterday for…
those who endured earlier pandemics can show us the way forward
Pen Bay Medical Center, Waldo County General Hospital CEO Mark Fourre sent the following May 4: As I witness the selfless commitments so many in our communities are making in response to…
Letter to the editor: Linda Garson Smith
I want to extend a grateful thank you to Melissa Kelly, chef of Primo, of Rockland, and her staff, for cooking, packing, and delivering the annual Easter Dinner that Adas Yoshuron…
Letter to the editor: Linda Buckmaster
It’s inappropriate for the Belfast City Council and Nordic to pressure the Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) to speed up its review of the Nordic factory farm proposal.
BEP is a …
opinion
Urging Maine Dept. of Economic Development to identify options for sake of vacation lodging business
Back in my innkeeping days, early May was the time for sprucing up the grounds of our B&B, planting pansies, trimming forsythia and mulching anything that wasn’t grass or asphalt.
The…
Maine’s early arriving birds of prey
This is the time of year when we become so desperate for signs of spring that we go on long drives to find them. One of our favorite spring drives, when not following a stay-at-home order, of…
census data is used for more than just government funding models
One great thing you can do for our community and our state while you’re stuck at home is to fill out the Census and get counted. The U.S. census only happens…
Opinion
On April 2, Gov. Janet Mills put a Maine stay-at-home order into effect, joining in the third wave of states issuing those orders to limit the spread of COVID-19.
States began acting when…
The following is a transcript of a Friday, April 24 radio address presented by Governor Janet Mills:
Hello, it’s finally spring. The crocuses and tulips are poking their heads…
Hasn’t this been something? Middle of February, we were winding down from an open winter, planning spring vacation trips and cruises.…
Earth Day is pretty special for me, since daughter Chelsea was born at home on April 22 in 1986. We celebrated with a champagne breakfast.
This Earth Day, I’m not feeling too celebratory.…
Anybody, these days, might understandably feel conflicted. A resourceful and resilient citizen cheerfully looking for silver linings to the crisis one minute, singing with others on the computer…
The following is a transcript of a radio address given Friday, April 17 by Governor Janet Mills:
This is Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.
Like you, I…
opinion
Amy Wilton and Lena Faber are two artists collaborating on a creative installation. What follows is part of their art project, a free-flowing exchange of thoughts in a column.…
Opinion: Beedy Parker
We seem proud that our phone numbers are no longer in phone books, which hardly exist anyway, so contacting neighbors by phone in time of crisis is not easy, and knocking on doors is hardly done.…
The following is a transcript of an April 10 radio address from Governor Janet Mills:
This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.
Thursday night and into…
The last time I sat down to pen a column piece amid the COVID-19 pandemic, I emphasized how we will get through not only the turbulent times the pandemic has brought — the record unemployment…
What are groupies? According to Google, groupies are people, especially young women, who follow music groups in hopes of getting to know them. Well, we certainly heard about them in the different…
‘we continue to prepare for the worst and hope for the best’
Pen Bay Medical Center, Waldo County General Hospital CEO Mark Fourre sent the following April 8: : At Coastal Healthcare Alliance, we continue to prepare for the worst and hope for the…
Industrial Arts
“Does this count as school?”
That question, now a wise-aleck remark uttered with rolled eyes or a wink, is a Murray family one-liner.
…
opinion
For many of us, the days since COVID-19 entered Maine have felt like an alternate reality. As with any transition in life, it’s important that we take some time to reflect on what’s changed, and…
The following is a transcript of a Friday, April 3 radio address by Governor Janet Mills:
We are in the midst of one of the greatest public health crises this world has…
Wow! This whole coronavirus, COVID-19, thing is really something, isn’t it? The unknown is troubling to a large portion of the population. Some people, like firefighters, cops, and EMS people live…
From the Senate
Under extraordinary circumstances, leaders of the Maine State Legislature came together working tirelessly throughout the March 14-15 weekend and reached agreement on a package of new laws to…
Today I have a yarn to spin, one that beats any previously created tangled web.
It all began several weeks ago, when, as a knitter, I was making winters hats for children. I, personally…
What to do When fear approaches
I picked up the phone and heard the fear in Sara’s voice. Her pitch was high and she spoke quickly.
“I’m not going back to work. My boss has been…
Letter to the editor: Steve Cartwright
The news story of Vinalhaven residents cutting down a tree to block people from leaving their house raises a red flag. It put the people in the house at risk, and probably terrified them. It…
Letter to the editor: Lorie Costigan
Whether you’ve lived in the Midcoast for a year or from your first breath, you know there’s an inherent symbiosis between summer residents and the year-round economy. It may not be the end of May…
The following is a transcript of a March 27 radio address given by Governor Janet Mills:
Friday the State of Maine joined countless friends, families, communities, states and…
commentary
We are in unprecedented times — but you already know that about the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.
At the same time, on the sports front, we are amidst unprecedented times as the…
Letter to the editor: Beverly Roxby
As is true all over Maine, the more cases of coronavirus are confirmed in Waldo County, the more exponential the threat…
opinion
My wife and I are from Richmond, Virginia, but have been visiting and vacationing in Maine for many years, mostly for camping, hiking, and trips up to and through the north woods.
The last…
Letter to the editor: Liz Schuh
We deeply appreciate the many offers to help with meal preparation and delivery and the outpouring of support for MCH Meals on Wheels we’ve experienced in recent days. For the moment, the most…
opinion: Doug Cole
What a shock it has been for me over the past two weeks, going from looking forward to the calm of winding down the town “budget season” to being thrown into the grips of the current coronavirus…
New Hope for women has submitted the following letter:
Dear Community,
We’re still here.
New Hope for Women has been closely monitoring the rapidly evolving outbreak…
Letter to the editor: Connie Hayes
Flush it or bag it?
Knowing that there are shortages of toilet paper, some people are getting creative.
Terry Pinto, who is the Head of the Wastewater Department of Rockland, is one…
I wanted to talk with you today about the crisis the world, our country, and you are facing as a result of the Corona virus Pandemic. While I can't promise you when it will get better, I am…
The following is a transcript of the Governor’s radio address from March 20:
Hi, this is Governor Janet Mills.
You know my parents used to tell me that we cannot control…
we are fortunate to live where magnificent natural features surround us every day
Steve Hirshberg, of Georges River Trout Unlimited, suggests outdoor activities to stay moving in the Midcoast:
"Rise and shine, you're lucky to be in the State of Maine!" Those…
Plus resources where you can get your needs met
Did you feel anxious all weekend? Sort of like that frog in the fable who sits in tepid water that’s slowly being brought to a boil?
On Friday afternoon, during a downpour, I headed to…
People pass away every day, and often their name is familiar, and we know something about them. Bob French passed away. Unless you had some family or…
NORTHPORT — The following letter was distributed by the administrative team at Edna Drinkwater School on March 12.
Dear Parent/Guardian:
We understand that the Novel…
TENANTS HARBOR — St. George MSU Superintendent Mike Felton released the following letter late March 12.
Dear Families,
The situation with COVID-19, or the “coronavirus,”…
APPLETON — Appleton Village School has released a letter regarding COVID-19 and is asking students to refrain from using water fountains.
“Due to the prevalence of various illnesses in our…
CAMDEN — The following letter was distributed March 12 by Five Town CSD and MSAD 28 Superintendent Maria Libby.
Libby is the Superintendent for Camden-Rockport Elementary, Camden-Rockport…
BELFAST — The following letter was distributed by RSU 71 Superintendent Mary Alice McLean on March 12.
RSU 71 includes Gladys Weymouth Elementary School, Ames Elementary School, Captain…
ROCKLAND — The Regional School Unit 13 Superintendent of Schools, John C. McDonald, distributed the following letter to members of the RSU 13 community on Thursday, March 12.
RSU 13…
ISLESBORO — Islesboro School Head of School Chuck Hamm released the following letter March 12 regarding the school’s COVID-19 preparations.
Dear School Community,
In light of…
VINALHAVEN — Vinalhaven School Superintendent Tonya Arnold released a letter to parents March 10 regarding the school’s response to COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus.
Given new…
